The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit

1991
8| 1h23m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 13 November 1991 Released
Producted By: Apple Corps
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The Beatles First US Visit uniquely chronicles the inside story of the two remarkable weeks when Beatlemania first ignited America. The pioneering Maysles Brothers who filmed at the shoulders of John, Paul, George and Ringo, innovated an intimate documentary style of film-making which set the benchmark for rock and roll cinematography that remains to this day.

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Director

Albert Maysles, Kathy Dougherty, Susan Froemke

Production Companies

Apple Corps

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The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit Audience Reviews

Cebalord Very best movie i ever watch
Onlinewsma Absolutely Brilliant!
Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
Abbigail Bush what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
jc-osms Shown here as part of BBC2's Beatles' night, this vibrant documentary is the real-life alter-ego of the "A Hard Day's Night" Beatles' stereotypes and shows that the Fab Four were quite witty and offbeat enough, without fictional embellishment.Covering their arrival in the States in early 1964, just as "I Want To Hold Your Hand raced up the charts as their debut US hit and taking in concerts in Washington and Miami, interspersed with their historic and record-breaking appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, we get a first hand glimpse of the punishing schedule the Beatles endured in their bid to break America. Their youthful exuberance and enthusiasm gets them through and it's obvious that they take delight in their new-found celebrity in the homeland of rock 'n' roll, from where they took so much early inspiration. This of course was to pall, so that within two short years they'd exert their collective wills to get off the constant grind of globe-trotting touring.Their infectious, unscripted witticisms raise many a smile at their numerous press conferences and it's easy to see them unconsciously debunking the myth of fame and cult of personality which was the norm amongst pop idols of the pre-Beatle era, notably a certain Mr Presley, of course.The music's terrific, all the early classics turned out with vim and skill, again before their growing tiredness and cynicism, allied to their inability to hear what they were playing, conspired to drag down their performing standards.My only criticism is that a certain Mr Lennon is strangely absent from much of the backstage proceedings, perhaps because he required to attend to the needs of his wife, she unsurprisingly hidden away (you just see her in one scene) in the background while Paul refers to him at another point as "the married one"). That said, Paul George and particularly Ringo put themselves about entertainingly, so that in the end you never doubt that America will catch the British wave and propel them to super-stardom.As a long-term Beatles fan, who admittedly finds the later era Beatles a much more interesting proposition as people and musicians than the lovable mop-tops on show here, this was a fascinating insight into how four provincial lads would become world figures and mostly deserving of everything that came their way through personality, hard work and of course, loads of talent.
krumski If you wish to experience the group's charm and musical euphoria of this time full on, without the intrusions of a tacked on plot or supplementary characters, check out the wonderful documentary "The Beatles' First U.S. Visit". Done by the Maysles brothers - the duo behind the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" later in the decade - the film captures all the excitement [and footage] of the Beatles' triumphant arrival in America, including all their Ed Sullivan appearances, various backstage reflections and shenanigans, and an extended, supercharged sequence of their concert at Washington Coliseum. For my money, this film is even MORE essential than A Hard Day's Night; it is, quite simply, the best extended visual document of the Beatles that we have.
my_man_george I thought the movie was absolutely marvelous (an inside joke to anyone who has seen the movie). This one is definitely a keeper. The footage captures the innocence of the Beatles during the begining of their career. It is full of laughs and great fun. Any beatle fan would enjoy this one and I personally would go to any lengths to get a hold of it.
Miasmo It's as if you're along for the ride as a spectator in the Beatles' entourage. A revealing look at the hoopla from their prospective. The behind the scenes footage has an intimate feel as there is no narrative to distance you from what's happening. The continuity flows seamlessly, though one wonders if the Maysles may have fabricated some of the ambient dialogue in the editing.